Multiplication is essentially repeated addition, or growing numbers by doubling, tripling, quadrupling, and so on. This unit presents mental models and strategies that help students learn and review the concept of multiplication. Students explore multiplication using arrays, partial products, doubling methods and the standard algorithm to solve numerical and word problems. Students will multiply whole numbers and simple decimals by base ten exponents (i.e. .3 x 103).

Fractions can be challenging when taught in an abstract way. That’s why this unit invites learners to engage with fractions and mixed numbers in very visual and concrete ways using number lines, tape diagrams and area models. Students will learn different strategies to practice identifying and generating equivalent fractions.

Understanding how our ten number system works enables students to see interesting and useful patterns and relationships in these math activities. These patterns allow students to develop more efficient mental math strategies when multiplying by multiples of 10 or 100. Students will also review rounding and apply this skill to larger numbers - up to 100,000’s place.

Understanding data and graphs is a critical skill that we use on a regular basis to read news articles, reports and other media to interpret information. In this unit, students investigate data collection, data organization and visual representation in different kinds of graphics (i.e. line plots, pie charts). Learners also apply concepts of probability and statistics to analyze data.

Calculating the volume of rectangular prisms is a new skill that is introduced in 5th grade. Students will apply mathematical formulas to find the volume of different kinds of figures and also determine the volume of a figure composed of two connected rectangular prisms. Learners will also work with other kinds of measurement when they make larger or smaller versions of figures (to scale) and learn to convert measurements.